Portable illuminated mirror



Jan.'2s, 1958 s. PAYENIQK PORTABLE ILLUMINATED MIRROR 7 Filed June v2, 19 55 INVEN TOR. $m/vpopo ems/w ATTORNEY United States Patent PORTABLE ILLUMINATED MIRROR Stanford Pavenick, South Orange, N. 1., assignor to Alien Manufacturing Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1955, Serial No. 512,661

2 Claims. (Cl. 2404.2)

This invention relates to a portable illuminating cosmetic and shaving mirror.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a normally concealed mirror of the character described which furnishes illumination upon being exposed for use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a normally concealed mirror of the character described which includes a convenience outlet for an electric appliance, e. g. an electric razor or facial vibrator, that customarily is used in conjunction with a mirror, the outlet being rendered effective on exposure of the mirror. It is another object of the invention to provide a mirror of the character described which is light, compact, rugged and attractive and is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the mirror hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the instant invention, the same being shown with the mirror exposed;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the device with the mirror and top wall of the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electrical circuit.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral denotes a mirror constructed in accordance with the instant invention. Said mirror comprises a completely closed rectangular casing 12 and a mirror panel 14.

The casing preferably is fabricated from sheet metal and includes an open-ended box 16 and a bottom wall 18. The box is received on the bottom wall within upstanding flanges 20 located at the edge of each side of said wall. The rear lower corners of the box are hinged to the plate, as by screws 22 passing through openings in the flanges and threaded into tapped openings in the box. The front flange of the bottom wall is apertured to admit a hand screw 24 the threaded shank of which is received in a tapped opening in the front wall of the box, so that simply by removing the hand screw ready access to the interior of the casing for relamping is provided.

A socket 26 is mounted in the casing on the front wall by a hickey 28 having a tapped, central sleeve 30. The hickey is secured to the front wall by a running nipple 32 the front end of which protrudes through an opening 34 in said front wall. The other end of the nipple is threadably received in the sleeve. A cap 36 screws onto the front end of the running nipple, thereby holding 2,821,520 Patented Jan. 28, 1958 the socket securely in place. ried by the socket.

A convenience outlet in the form of a plug receptacle 38 is mounted on the front wall of the box adjacent the hickey, said receptacle including a face 40 disposed outside of and a shank 42 within the housing. The face is larger than the opening in the housing through which the shank extends. The receptacle is held in place by a bracket 43 comprising a body 44 from each end of which a leg 46 extends forwardly. The body is disposed at the back of the receptacle with the legs running along the sides thereof and diverging slightly towards the front wall of the boX.

A screw is threadably received in a tapped opening in the back of the shank, said screw passing first through an opening in the body of the bracket. The legs are longer than the shank of the receptacle, so that as the screw is tightened, the tips of the legs will press against the front wall of the box, and the receptacle will be pulled towards the bracket by the screw, whereby the face of the plug receptacle seats on the outside of the casing.

A normally closed momentary pin switch 50 is mounted on a bracket 52 secured to a side wall of the box as by rivets 54. The switch is so located that the actuating pin 56 thereof protrudes above the top of the box. The operation of the switch will be explained hereinafter.

A conventional electric cord 58 extends through a headed ferrule 60 located in the back end wall of the casing. The head of the ferrule is on the outside of the casing, and a nut 62 on the inside thereof screws onto the ferrule to hold it in place. The cord carries a plug 63.

Fig. 5 schematically shows the electrical circuit employed in the present invention. The light bulb 37 is connected in parallel with the plug receptacle 38, and both are controlled by the switch '50.

The top surface of the bottom wall is specular, and a flat, circular metal reflector 70 is disposed behind the light bulb as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Between the top surface of the bottom wall 18 and the rear of the reflector, thermal insulation such, for example, as a sheet of asbestos 72, is provided to prevent the bottom of the casing from becoming hot enough to damage furniture.

The upper end of the box 16 is closed by a metal wall 74 having peripheral pendent flanges 78 overlying the walls of the box. Said flanges are secured to the box as by screws 80 which extend through openings in the flanges 78 and are screwed in tapped holes in the box. Said wall is provided with a large aperture 82 disposed substantially in line with the reflector 70. An opalescent pane 84 covers the aperture beneath the top wall, being affixed to said wall as by rivets 86. Several small openings 88 are formed in the top wall at the rear thereof to permit dissipation of heat. The actuating pin 56 of the momentary switch protrudes through an opening 90 in the plate.

The mirror panel 14 includes a frame 91 frictionally hinged at the bottom thereof to brackets 92 permanently secured to the rear of the top wall as by rivets 94. At one side, the frame 91 is rotatably secured to the adjacent bracket by a single rivet 96. At the other side a screw 98 fixed to the frame protrudes from the latter and extends through an opening in the adjacent bracket. A washer 100 is disposed on screw 98 on the opposite side of the associated bracket from the frame, and a cap nut 102 is threaded on the tip of the screw. Thus, the tightness of the hinge can be controlled by rotation of the cap nut.

A conventional mirror pane 104 fabricated, for example, from glass, is mounted in the frame 91 to face top wall 74 and cover it when the frame 91 is swung down An electric lamp 37 is carv3 (closed) to overlie the plate 74. Behind the mirror pane (as viewed in Fig. 1), any conventional backing such as wood or cardboard is provided.

To operate the portable mirror the plug 63 is inserted in a wall outlet. When the mirror panel is down so that the mirror is concealed, the actuating pin 56 of the momentary switch will be depressed by abutment of the mirror 104 thereagainst. The switch will then be open so that the bulb will not be lighted and the plug receptacle de-energized. When the mirror is swung up, the switch will snap to its normally closed position, and the energizing circuit for the bulb and plug receptacle will be closed. Thus, when the mirror is exposed, the light bulb will go on and the plug receptacle will be energized.

The light from the bulb will illuminate the face of a person employing the mirror. The plug receptacle provides a convenient source of electricity for cosmetic and shaving appliances.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device which achieves all the objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A portable mirror comprising a hollow casing and a panel, the panel including a mirror on its undersurface, means hinging the panel to the casing to swing from a concealed position in which the mirror is juxtaposed with the top of the casing to an exposed position in which the mirror is spaced from the top of the casing, the casing having a first opening in the top thereof and a If second opening, a light bulb socket disposed in the easing, said socket being substantially in line with said first opening, a plug receptacle mounted on a wall of the casing and having an operative face accessible from the outside of the casing, a plug disposed externally of the casing, a wire running from the plug through said second opening to the socket and receptacle and connecting the socket and receptacle in parallel, a normally closed momentary switch, said switch being connected in series between the plug on the one hand and the plug receptacle and light bulb socket on the other hand, said switch including an actuating pin protruding from the top of the casing, said panel being arranged to degrees said pin and thereby open the switch on being juxtaposed to the upper surface of said top.

2. A portable mirror as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means hinging the panel to the casing comprises a bracket secured on each side of the top of the casing at an edge thereof, each bracket including an element projecting from said top, and means mounting the panel between said elements, said mounting means including a threaded shaft rotatable with the panel and disposed at one side thereof, said shaft protruding through an opening in the element at the same side, said mounting means further including a cap threadably receivable on the shaft- References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,009,561 Murray July 30, 1935 2,453,621 Chinn Nov. 9, 1948 2,458,721 Nenno Jan. ll, 1949 2,487,883 Le Baron Nov. 15, 1949 2,515,437 Bisch et al. July 18, 1950 

